Cocktails

The serving of absinthe in the 19th century was something of a ritual which involved pouring water over lumps of sugar sitting on special slotted absinthe spoons. The ritual arose because absinthe is traditionally bottled unsweetened, and many imbibers were accustomed to sweetened liqueurs that were popular at the time. The high percentage of alcohol kept the sugar from dissolving properly in the absinthe, so spoons were created and used to suspend sugar over the glass; it dissolved into the drink when cold water was poured during its preparation at the table.